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Saturday, March 30, 2013

The
Kia Sorento hasn’t been on sale for
all that long in its current form (since the 2011 model year). Still, for 2014,
the Sorento is already up for some significant improvements. And it's no minor
refresh, either: Kia says that more than 80 percent of the parts in the new
Sorento are either all-new or significantly redesigned.

You
might not know it by looking at the exterior, however. The 2014 Sorento is a clear continuation of
the current design—but with some fresh details that crossover shoppers are
going to be able to pick out. New front and rear fascias and low body work both
serve to make the Sorento look a bit lower and wider, while the ‘tiger-nose’
grille gets either an anodized metal or black mesh look, with a cross-hatched
pattern in the lower valance. Kia has also added LED combination taillamps and
redesigned wheels. Inside, the Sorento gets a new instrument panel, while EX
trims and above get a new reconfigurable seven-inch TFT LCD gauge cluster.

The
most meaningful difference for many families may very well be the introduction
of a more fuel-efficient V-6. The all-aluminum 3.3-liter GDI V-6 makes 290
horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque. A 191-hp, 2.4-liter GDI four-cylinder
engine is standard, but likely to be rare--and rightly so, since the V-6 almost
matches it on gas mileage, and far outpoints it in pure power. The Sorento
delivers its power to the road with the help of a well-sorted six-speed
automatic transmission; it's either configured with front-wheel drive or with
an enhanced torque-vectoring version of the all-wheel-drive system.

Other
key upgrades help the Sorento ride less stiffly and steer more swiftly. The
Sorento’s hydraulic power steering system has been swapped out for an electric
system, and on the Sorento SX it's driver-adjustable through a range of three
modes (Comfort, Normal, and Sport), to nominal effect. Ride and handling have
been improved through a more rigid body structure plus the addition of a front
strut-tower brace and a new independent front suspension with an H-shaped
sub-frame cradle; new bushings have been added to the multi-link rear
suspension. It's much calmer, and more capable of rounding off pavement burrs
than before, though it's still a slightly firm setup compared to the gooey ride
of a Highlander.

The
interior of the Sorento grows
incrementally, with slightly more leg room and good seats, now with heating
offered on the first two rows and ventilation available up front. We like the
Sorento as a five-seater, where it has plenty of legroom and headroom for
adults, front and back, yet leaves plenty of cargo space when the back two rows
of seats are folded down on three-row versions. There's not much room behind
the third-row seat when it's used for passengers, though.

All
versions get standard Bluetooth, satellite radio, and power features; a
panoramic sunroof is a new option. The top Sorento SX Limited adds some of the
top-lux features gained by the Optima SX this past year; it includes Nappa
leather upholstery, heated rear seats, and a wood-trimmed heated steering
wheel, plus a soft-touch headliner. On the outside it’s distinguished by its
HID headlamps, red-painted brake calipers and special 19-inch chrome wheels.

The
rest of the Sorento line gets an
expanded feature set for 2014, and especially of note is that infotainment has
been upgraded, with a large new eight-inch touch screen that combines
navigation, real-time traffic, Infinity premium audio, Bluetooth, and next-generation
UVO eServices features that ditch Microsoft's kludgy software for
smartphone-driven access to Google maps--for free. A 115-volt power inverter,
second-row sliding sunshades, a panoramic sunroof, and dual-ventilated
air-cooled front seats are among the other new features for 2014.

According to the old maxim, Americans don't like small cars. We buy trucks by
the truckload and midsize sedans more than any other car segment. But because
of gas prices, the tough economy, or both, the compact segment is growing. In
2012, it accounted for roughly 13 percent of the U.S. car market, with most
entrants registering sales increases over 2011. With frugality in vogue,
automakers expect the segment to keep growing during the next several years.

Last year, the Mazda3 went bumper to bumper with the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford
Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and Volkswagen Jetta in a battle of
40-mpg-capable cars. The Mazda won because we framed the conversation thus: Is
there a 40-mpg car you'd want to own? The question was directed at the
enthusiast who wants a high-efficiency car that's also fun to drive. In that
measure, the Mazda was without question the Goldilocks car. It finished
mid-pack on fuel economy, but it was far and away the driver's choice.

Since then, three new pretenders to the throne have arisen, and a fourth made
an emergency update to better position it against the competition. More
important, we're no longer asking which is the best sports car, but which is
the best all-around car for the average consumer. We're looking for the car
that offers the best value, content, fuel economy, and safety in addition to
performance. It's a whole new ballgame.

RIDE & HANDLING

In claiming its previous victory, the Mazda3 dazzled the judges with its crisp,
natural steering feel; responsive, unshakable chassis; and sport sedan
handling. It led this competition with the same trump card, at least in the
dry. As it happened, rain struck during our evaluation loops, and opinions of
the Mazda changed quickly. Those who drove it in the dry were again smitten
with its excellent handling on the winding road portion. Those who drove it in
the wet, however, told a different tale. Editors found it breaking loose at
both ends on wet roads when pushed hard, eroding confidence. One point we all
agreed on was the ride quality, which was among the best in the group.

Another car that divided
the judges was the Dodge Dart. Opinions were mixed on the thick, meaty steering
wheel -- while it felt direct, the steering was surprisingly heavy. Also heavy
was the car itself, outweighing the nearest competitor by more than 300 pounds,
and it felt heavy from behind the wheel. The Dart threw its heft into a corner,
but once the weight transferred, it was a smooth and stable handler. The weight
made the car feel planted on the road, but it also hurt the ride quality,
though it wasn't the worst in the group.

In terms of ride and handling, the worst was the Nissan Sentra. There wasn't a
large difference in ride quality among the group, but the Sentra was at the
bottom of the spectrum. Where it really disappointed was in handling. The
Sentra received constant complaints of terminal understeer, egregious body
roll, and lifeless steering, and it lacked grip. Said associate online editor
Karla Sanchez: "This car handled so terribly, I couldn't wait until the
loop was over."

On the opposite end of
the spectrum, the Kia Forte surprised everyone. In general, we've known Kias to
have rough rides and elastic-feeling steering, but not this car. The ride was
pleasantly firm, almost sporty, and the steering felt naturally weighted and
responsive, though it still provided no feedback. Many editors found it the
second-most fun car to drive behind the Mazda.

Somewhere in the middle was the Civic. The lightest of the group, it felt that
way on the road. Ride quality and handling both fell in the middle of the pack,
though the steering took some hits. Editor-in-chief Edward Loh found that the
"light steering feels artificial and requires jerky inputs. Initial input
doesn't seem to do much, so I kept dialing in more and more steering. Hard to
be smooth."

PERFORMANCE

The Kia surprised us at
the track. It was the quickest to 60 mph by half a second and stopped the shortest
from the same speed by 2 feet. On our skidpad, it put up respectable grip
numbers and was the quickest around our figure-eight course. Out in the real
world, we found the power strong compared with the rest of the group, and the
transmission shifted quickly and smoothly and seemed to never select the wrong
gear.

Less surprising was the poor showing from the Sentra. It was the slowest to
reach 60 mph and needed the longest distance to stop. The car also was slow to
accelerate and lacked brake bite. The primary culprit in drivetrain complaints
was the continuously variable transmission, which all agreed was slow to
respond and then provided insufficient additional leverage when it did. Despite
its poor handling on the road and lowest average g on the figure-eight test,
the Sentra did manage to tie the Dart for the highest average on the skidpad.

The Dart was a
disappointment. Its raspy exhaust and turbocharged engine seemed to promise
performance, but its jog to 60 mph fell right in the middle of the pack, as did
its stopping distance. As noted above, it posted the highest average g on the
skidpad and the figure eight, but tied the Mazda for second in figure-eight lap
time. Where the Dart really fell down was in everyday driving. The dual-clutch
transmission was jerky and often seemed confused in automatic mode, whether
dicing in the city or carving a canyon. The only remedy was to manually shift
using the gear stick, which delivered fairly quick and crisp shifts, though it
upshifted automatically at redline.

We were likewise disappointed in the Civic. The engine felt weak at low rpm,
but like the Sentra, the fault lies squarely with the transmission. The aging
five-speed gearbox was slow to shift and had no manual mode. This carried over
to the track, where it was the second slowest to 60 mph and the slowest around
the figure eight. Its low curb weight contributed to the second shortest
stopping distance, but it posted mid-pack average g numbers.

The Mazda3 was a curiosity rather than a disappointment. Despite its stellar
dry performance on the road, it didn't post the big numbers at the track. It
was the second quickest to 60 mph and around the figure eight, but dead last on
the skidpad. It also finished third in braking. Somehow, though, it all came together
on real-world roads, making the Mazda3 the clear driver's favorite.

EFFICIENCY

The two cars with the
most overt technological approaches to fuel efficiency performed the poorest.
An accelerating trend in the automotive industry today is to replace a larger
engine with a smaller, turbocharged one that, in theory, provides the same
power while using less fuel. This was not the case for the Dart. Its
turbocharged 1.4-liter engine was the smallest and offered the most torque and
second-highest horsepower rating, but it returned a dismal 19.5 mpg on our
evaluation loops, well below its EPA estimates of 27/37 mpg city/highway.

Likewise unimpressive was the Sentra's continuously variable transmission,
which should theoretically always be at the optimum gearing for fuel economy.
With the least horsepower and tied for the least torque, you'd expect it
wouldn't burn much fuel, but it returned the second-lowest observed fuel
economy at 21.2 average mpg. With ratings at 30/39 mpg city/highway, it was a
long way off. "Nissan might be on to something," quipped senior
features editor Jonny Lieberman. "No one will drive this car quickly and
in an inefficient manner, as it actually sounds like you're injuring the car
with your right foot."

As much as we knock the
Civic for its old five-speed transmission offering no manual control, it still
gets the job done. The Civic was the second-least powerful car present and it
felt like it, but that little engine and old gearbox know how to use fuel
wisely. The Civic returned 23.5 mpg, which, while not stellar, was at least
closer to its 28/39-mpg city/highway ratings.

Kia had a rough go of it last year after the EPA unceremoniously lowered the
fuel economy ratings on a number of its cars. The Forte was unaffected, but the
new car has struck back with a vengeance. Despite having the most horsepower
and second-highest torque rating, as well as an conventional six-speed
automatic, the Kia returned 24.4 mpg -- falling nicely within the estimated EPA
city/highway ratings of 24/36 mpg and good for second best in this comparison.

The big winner, though, was the car that won the fuel economy comparison on
handling rather than mpg. The Mazda3, with its funny-sounding Skyactiv badging
and no obvious technological tricks (they're all deep inside the engine), was
the longest running model in this test and by far the fuel-sipping champ. It
handily bested the competition by returning 25.3 average mpg against its
28/40-mpg city/highway ratings.

COCKPIT/CABIN

Many people put a lot of
stock in how a car looks, but the truth is, you'll spend far more time looking
at the inside of it than the outside, and it greatly shapes your perception of
the vehicle. In this category, the Sentra clawed back some favor with the
judges. The rear seat and trunk are cavernous for the class, and the navigation
and entertainment systems are simple and intuitive to use. Some editors found
the design dull, likening it to a doctor's waiting room, but others pointed out
that it barely feels down-market from the larger, more expensive Altima, a nice
treat for a value-conscious buyer.

The Forte received similar praise for being second to the Sentra in rear seat
space. It was also dinged, albeit less so, for being cold and dark with some
odd ridges on the dash. Those gripes were quickly overlooked, however, in light
of the segment-busting list of features, such as heated and cooled front seats
and power-folding mirrors.

Also feature-rich was
the Dart, with its massive touchscreen infotainment system and high-resolution,
reconfigurable gauge display. We appreciated the clear, easy-to-use UConnect
infotainment system, even if it did seem a bit cluttered compared with Kia's
UVO system. Editors also liked the front-and-back steering wheel controls.
Where the Dart struggled was in seating, with hard perches front and rear and
compromised rear headroom. The editors complained about the grainy,
low-resolution back-up camera.

Riding mid-pack was the Civic, whose bi-level instrument cluster and funky
shapes divided editors. It was given high marks for being a strong improvement
over the poorly received 2012 model, and we appreciated the better materials
and quieter cabin. We took issue, though, with the old, low-resolution
navigation system and its tiny buttons, and rear seat space ranked smallest
among the competitors.

Receiving some of the harshest criticism was the Mazda3. While we liked its
sporty, supportive seats overall, many were disappointed with its small,
cramped rear seat. The dashboard also drew fire for looking the oldest and
appearing to be made of the cheapest materials. "The split screens are at
least well-organized/executed," wrote Loh. However, "none of the
screens matches in background colors, fonts, or font colors, not in the
instrument panel, infotainment screen, or the two tiny screens above." We
were disappointed with the lack of a back-up camera, but equally delighted by
the preferred manual shifting orientation of forward for downshifts and
backward for upshifts, which the Dart shared.

SAFETY

With safety a key
concern among buyers, it's no surprise all these competitors performed well in
crash testing. They were not, however, all created equal. For example, Honda
found out about the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's new small-offset
crash test and designed the new Civic accordingly. As such, the Civic is the
only car here to be named a Top Safety Pick+ after receiving a Good score in
all tests. (None of the others has yet completed the small-offset test.) The
2013 Civic hasn't been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration yet, but the 2012 car received 5-star front and side ratings and
a 4-star rollover rating for 5 stars overall.

Like the Honda, the 2014 Forte hasn't been crash tested yet. In this case,
though, the Kia is a thoroughly redesigned car and not a refresh, so it's
difficult to say how it will fare. The old Forte, for what it's worth, received
4 stars and Good ratings in all tests and was named a Top Safety Pick.

It's a similar story
with the 2013 Sentra, which also has yet to be fully tested. NHTSA has crashed
it, and gave it a 5-star side impact rating, 4 stars for front and rollover
tests, and 4 stars overall. IIHS hasn't tested it, but the old model was not a
Top Safety Pick because of an Acceptable rating in the roof crush test.

There is plenty of information, however, on the oldest car in the test. The
Mazda3 is an IIHS Top Safety Pick thanks to Good ratings all around, but it
didn't fare quite as well at NHTSA. It's a mixed bag, with a 5-star front
impact rating, 4-star rollover rating, and 3-star side impact rating, combined
for a 4-star overall rating. Editors also noted and appreciated the optional
Blind Spot Warning system.

We appreciated the Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Path Detection systems on
the Dart as well, not to mention the only Driver Knee Bolster airbags in the
group. That car fared better in crash testing, earning a 5-star overall rating
on 5-star front and side impact ratings and a 4-star rollover rating. It is
also a Top Safety Pick with Good scores across the board.

VALUE

In a price-conscious
segment like this, value is a major consideration. That's especially true in
this test, where all the competitors were heavily equipped with pricey options
such as navigation systems, leather seats, keyless entry, and more. None was
more heavily loaded than the Mazda3, which rang in just above the Dart at
$26,420. Being the oldest model in the test and lacking a back-up camera hurt
its value argument, though we enthusiasts found quite a lot of value in its
handling and performance.

The Dart also became something of a tough sell at $26,415. It was feature-rich
with its big display screens, automatic headlights and wipers, heated steering
wheel, and more. The problem is, the Forte offers all that and more for $805
less. With by far the worst observed fuel economy, the Dart's value appeal
dropped precipitously in the eyes of the judges.

That Forte, though, blew
us away. Power front seats that are both heated and cooled, heated rear seats,
power-folding side mirrors, a heated steering wheel, multiple steering modes,
and more, all for a mid-pack price of $25,610. Add to that the second-best fuel
economy in the test and far and away the best warranty, and the Kia makes a
serious value proposition.

The Civic was a tougher case to make. It offered many of the features the
others did, but the clunky navigation system and second-worst observed fuel
economy hurt it. On the other hand, it was very nearly the least expensive car
here at $24,555, and it got high marks for its quality interior materials.

The Sentra fell into the same trap as the Civic, offering the lowest as-tested
price by just over a hundred dollars at $23,715. While that appealed to our
wallets, the second-worst observed fuel economy and the poor handling made us
reconsider how our hypothetical money was being spent.

CONCLUSION

Some comparison tests
are blowouts, and those are easy to judge. Then there are tests like this,
where the field is closely matched in nearly every category. Each car had strengths
and weaknesses and none completely ran away with the award. There wasn't a
"perfect" car in the bunch, but several that would be very good
choices depending on your priorities.

If, for example, you're an enthusiast like us, you'll be happiest with the
sporty Mazda. It would also appeal to those who value fuel economy above all
else. If safety is your priority, you'll be comforted by the Honda's
class-topping crash test scores. Those who love features will be very happy
with the Dart and Forte, and the buyer shopping on price will find the Sentra's
low as-tested price very appealing.

After weighing the contenders in each category against what would best serve
the average compact car buyer, we picked the 2014 Kia Forte as the best
all-around car here and the winner of this test. Its combination of
performance, fuel efficiency, reasonable pricing, and endless feature list had
our judges agreeing it's the car we'd recommend to our friends and family.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Boy, selling compact cars has become a brutally tough way to make a living.

Not because nobody's buying. The compact segment is awash with activity. But each new compact that hits the market seems to raise the bar quite a bit, leaving rivals agape about how fast their latest hot-dang models got upstaged.

Honda discovered that the hard way, having to overhaul its latest Civic only 18 months after it was launched. Honda said competition moved faster than expected, and it had to keep Civic competitive.

Kia's redone 2014 Forte, going on sale next quarter, is a good example.

Derived from the same parts bin used by corporate affiliate Hyundai for the Elantra sedan, Forte has enough differences to stand out. The high-end version is good enough to make you wonder why people spend $40,000 and more on luxury cars.

Caution: Kia won't disclose prices yet, and the scrumptious test car is a loaded showboat. It's a delight, but without knowing the price, it's hard to say whether it's a value.

Following Hyundai's lead with the Elantra, Kia cut back Forte sedan from three trim levels to two, LX (base) and EX (the test car). When Hyundai cut Elantra sedan to two versions for 2013, it dropped the bare-bones base model and effectively raised the entry price about $1,000.

2-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine that feels quicker than its 173-horsepower rating suggests. Very responsive in traffic, and accomplished as a fast-merger and quick-passer on highways. It's standard on the EX -- and, no doubt to Kia's delight, isn't offered at all on the Elantra sedan. The base LX Forte gets the same 1.8- liter, 148-hp, four that all Elantra sedans use.

Electronic system that links with your smartphone to tell you, among other gee-whiz info, where you parked your car and how long it's been there, in case you need to run out with quarters for the meter.

The catch: It's only compatible with iPhones and Androids. Those of us hip enough to have Windows phones, tough luck, save for the ability to quickly ring up 9-1-1 if you're having a very bad day.

Outside mirrors you can power-fold in for tight parking spots.

Quick linking to phones, even the challenging Windows phone. There is similarly fast streaming connection so you can play your tunes on the car stereo.

Programmable steering. "Normal" suited Test Drive with a good blend of firmness, road feel and response. Some drivers will choose "Sport" for even firmer feel, or "Comfort" for a lighter touch.

A thoroughly pleasant interpretation of the "soft touch" interior in demand these days. Leather with upscale visible stitching on some seams; matte-finish plastic that's the antithesis of "hard" or "brittle"; a gearshift knob thoughtfully sized and shaped not only to fit the palm but to invite it.

Audi-style LED headlight trim, making a dramatic first impression when you see the car coming at night.

A nifty "hero" color (what they call the hue you'll see in launch ads and as bait in showrooms). It's "abyss blue" and hits the brilliant-blue target just about perfectly.

More than just a platform for the show-off stuff, the Kia Forte sedan (hatchback and coupe models are due later this year) is satisfying to drive. That is, it works well as a car. Test Drive hasn't given up on the idea of that being a core value for an automobile.

The 2-liter engine is quick, and turns the racket of direct- injection into a pleasing growl. Pretty easy on fuel, too, by Test Drive standards, yielding mpg in the low 20s in mixed types of (vigorous, as always) driving.

The base model's 1.8-liter won't be as pleasing, but isn't necessarily a deal-breaker for the thrifty buyer. Just be sure its lower power matches your needs.

Brakes take hold quickly, but aren't grabby.

Suspension is nicely sorted out, which isn't a given on Kias. Seeking a sporting image, to distinguish it from Hyundai's more luxe feel, Kia often has overdone the suspension tuning and wound up with cars that ride like go-karts. Forte's well beyond that, having the desirable mix of comfort and control you get in grownups' cars.

Rear suspension's still a beam, not the independent rear springing you really wish for. But it is well-tamed and nicely tuned by Kia. Unless you drive like a rallyist on regular roads, you shouldn't be put off by the back-beam's primitive design. It's what many compact rivals use, so you don't necessarily lose bragging rights.

Assuming Kia doesn't go nuts on price, the 2014 Forte EX sedan is at or near the top of Test Drive's want list among well-furnished compact cars.

Kia continued to build on its aggressive pace of new product introductions on Wednesday as it revealed three models that are either new or redesigned at the New York International Auto Show.

The Korean automaker has grown rapidly in the U.S. in recent years with aggressive styling, low prices and by rapidly upgrading its models.

Today, Kia unveiled an updated Optima mid-size sedan, a two door version of the compact Forte – dubbed the Forte Koup – and a redesigned Kia Soul, its iconic boxy car advertised with hip hamsters. Executives at the upstart Korean brand readily acknowledge that the funky, angular compact Soul put Kia on the map when it was first introduced in 2009. Today, the company saved the Soul for last today in New York. The design of the 2014 Soulwas inspired by the Track'ster concept, first shown in 2012.

Kia said the new Soul has a new chassis that is stiffer, longer and wider, than the outgoing Soul.

"When the first Soul was introduced in 2009, everyone at Kia believed we had a hit on our hands, but we didn't realize how big that hit was going to be," Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing and communications at Kia Motors America said in a statement.

Kia sold more than 115,000 Souls in 2012, a 13.2% increase over the prior year.

The refreshed 2014 Kia Soul unveiled today at the New York Auto Show.(Photo: Robert Deutsch USAT)

The Forte Koup SX two-door joins the four-door and hatchback versions of the compact Forte shown earlier this year. It starts at just under $16,000 and will go on sale in the fourth quarter. Pricing was not disclosed. The updated sedan is going on sale now and the hatch is coming this summer.

The Forte Koup's two-door allowed designers to give the car a swooping roofline.

The all-new Forte Koup SX is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder, turbocharged engine that produces 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. The base Kia Forte EX comes with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine produces 173 horsepower and 154 pound-feet of torque. According to Kia, the Forte SX is the most powerful Forte Koup ever.

Kia success in the U.S. is often overlooked. Kia gained market share in the U.S. in 2012 for the 18th consecutive year.

The company sold more than 557,000 cars in the U.S. in 2012 – the most in its 18-year history here, as overall sales increased 14.9%.

But for all of Kia's brash marketing and recent growth, the brand is often overshadowed by Hyundai, its corporate sibling.

Seoul-based Hyundai owns 34% of Kia.

Globally, the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group sold about 6.5 million vehicles in 2011, making it the world's fifth-largest automaker.

With the new models unveiled today, Kia hopes to continue its sales momentum this year and beyond.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Check us out on Facebook and YouTube. Our Holyoke dealership currently has 1,294 friends and our Enfield dealership has 552 friends. Join us and out and find out if our friends are also your friends.

Our Facebook pages are a place where we get to communicate with ourcustomers. We get to show what we are doing in our dealerships in real time. It givescustomers the opportunity to also communicate with us and share things thatthey might have not otherwise share. With our Facebook pages, we are alwaysgiving away prizes. It’s fun and helps us as a company to be with the Social Media movement.

Our Enfield store is starting a YouTube channel. We will be adding a new video every week, so don’t miss out.

Friday, March 8, 2013

With the 2014
Kia Forte sedan now in the picture, the Korean automaker has reinvented its
compact sedan twice within the last five years. While that may seem excessive,
the cutthroat compact car segment is like the fashion world. You might only be
27 years old, but that translates to 59 in model years. With the 4-year-old
Forte losing relevance, Kia had to act fast. Luckily, it already had a winning
formula, thanks to the current-gen Optima
midsize sedan, which is the brand’s best-selling model to date. The Optima
has earned lots of brownie points for its sleek styling, performance, and
smorgasbord of premium features, and the 2014 Forte doesn’t deviate from that
formula. Defined by curvaceous body lines, the familiar tiger nose grille,
sweeping head- and taillights, and a sharply raked windshield, the Forte
commands attention, especially EX models equipped with LED accents above
projector halogen headlights. (HIDs are optional.) The strips are slanted into
the grille, resembling furrowed eyebrows that may intimidate those who look in
their rearview mirrors. It’s wider (0.2 inch), longer (1.2 inches), and lower
(1.0 inch) than its predecessor, with a wheelbase 2 inches longer at 106.3
inches.

Looks aside, lots of
tinkering went on beneath the skin. A reworked direct-injection, 2.0-liter I-4
feeds 173 horses and 154-lb-ft of torque to the front tires via a six-speed
automatic transmission, allowing the compact to scoot from 0 to 60 mph in 7.8
seconds and reach the quarter mile in 16.0 seconds at 87.3 mph. The numbers are
leaps and bounds over the last Forte
EX we tested in 2011, which needed 9.2 seconds to reach 60 mph from a
standstill and 17.1 seconds to pass the quarter-mile line at 83.2 mph. The
Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla may best the Forte in compact sales, but the
Korean compact puts them to shame in this category—the cars needed 9.1 and 9.8
seconds to get from 0 to 60 mph, respectively. Away from the track, the
2.0-liter buzzes happily when you put the pedal to the metal, making highway
merging easy. The Forte’s cabin is surprisingly quiet for a car that belongs in
the compact segment, with hardly any vibrations felt through the steering
wheel, floor panels, or pedals. Kia engineers can pat themselves on the back
for this, since an aluminum bed plate located beneath the engine block
diminishes engine noise, while other NVH materials inside the doors reduce wind
noise.

In our figure-eight test, the new Forte took advantage of
its increased torsional rigidity, producing an improved time of 27.6 seconds at
0.60 g (average) versus the previous car’s 28.9 seconds at 0.56 g (average).
Although it’s no sports car, the Forte embraces squiggly canyon roads with
delight, as it eagerly turns into corners without too much body roll. The Forte
is offered with a three-mode electrically boosted steering system (Normal,
Comfort, and Sport), but the differences between the Normal and Sport modes
aren’t easily discernible, and Comfort made steering feel more disconnected
than comfortable. A stiffer chassis and recalibrated rear torsion beam allowed
the Forte to float over hard impacts while delivering a smooth and balanced
ride. Meanwhile, the compact stops from 60 mph in 117 feet compared with the
outgoing car’s 141.

Like the Optima, the
Forte is packed with all the standard amenities you could reasonably expect in
its segment, including Bluetooth, satellite radio, power windows/locks, air
conditioning, and a 60/40 split-folding rear seat. Our EX tester further
spoiled us with a Google-powered UVO infotainment system with eServices,
hands-free keyless
access, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, and
rearview camera. Fully loaded with the Popular and Technology Packages, our
tester boasted navigation, power folding mirrors, HID headlights, heated front
and rear seats, ventilated 10-way adjustable power driver seat, and dual-zone
climate control. Heck, it even had a heated steering wheel, but even more
useful are the puddle and door handle lamps, which come in handy at night.

The Forte
sedan’s controls and the 4.2-inch LCD touch screen are easy to reach thanks
to the angled center stack, and the navigation is intuitive. Although the Civic
and Corolla offer 0.3 and 0.4 inch more rear seat legroom, respectively, my
rear passengers happily stretched their legs to utilize all 35.9 inches of
Forte legroom, and they didn’t complain about the 37.3 inches of headroom, a
smidge more than both Japanese rivals have to offer. Although every single
creature comfort was available in our fully loaded EX tester, I wonder if we
would get the same kick out of the 2014 Forte sedan in LX trim, with its
1.8-liter I-4. Either way, the improved ride quality is what impressed most.
Fuel economy figures have not yet been released, but expect them to fall within
the lines of the outgoing EX’s 26/36 mpg city/highway. Estimated to start at
about $17,000, the redesigned Forte is in it to win it with its bag of tricks
and treats. Further pricing details will be revealed closer to the Forte’s
on-sale date this spring.